Avengers: Heroes of a New Generation
by Tori the Coviekiller
Summary: (Dark Future AU) The year is 2024. Ten years ago, it happened. The beginning of the end. It tore the Avengers apart. Over the following years, the world slowly fell apart, crime running rampant. And with the Avengers all but extinct, who will save the world from the likes of HYDRA? RATED M FOR A REASON! (Violence and possible nudity & sex in later chapters.) SYOC OPEN-Villains only
1. Prologue

**: : : AVENGERS: HNG : : :**

 **\- Precise Location Unknown, New York City, May 05, 2024 1:50AM -**

Rain. Some liked it, others didn't. But right now, almost everyone hated it. It wasn't a surprise really, what with the current thunderstorm. It had been raging for the last couple of days, ever since _he_ supposedly returned. She hadn't seen him though. But that too was no surprise. He rarely came back in the first place, and when he did, he never visited her. None of them did, and she wouldn't have it any other way. She never liked them in the first place. But even then, she too was a little annoyed with the fact that he just had to make the weather rage like crazy whenever he visited. She should've brought an umbrella. Not that it would've done her much good. Not against this kind of heavy rain. And especially not with this wind.

A loud thunderclap broke the ever so peaceful silence of the night, the accompanying thunder lighting up the sky like a flashlight. It also revealed the silhouette of the woman, with her short and tidy brown hair, and her feminine yet unmistakably powerful posture. She was wearing what looked like a military-grade uniform. In the darkness, it was impossible to tell the details, but the uniform definitely had a dark color, perhaps blue, or maybe even black, and it was fitted with various pouches, all in white. The woman carried only one weapon though, which was a pistol holstered on her right hip. Not that it mattered what she looked like. She was here alone, after all.

She stood at the edge of a rooftop, overlooking the city. A rotten city. It seemed peaceful enough now, but she knew there were plenty of thieves and the like up right now, going about their business even in the dead of night. They were active especially at night, of course. During the day they risked running into Spider-Man.

Spider-Man. One of New York's last heroes, and one of a very select few that criminals feared. These days, the whole hero gig was practically a full time job for mister Parker, a fact that the woman both appreciated and regretted at the same time. He was still so young, he deserved to have at least a little bit of a personal life. Then again, he was also a bit of a preventive method. So long as he was out there, being a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, people would think twice about becoming a criminal, and criminals would think twice about going big and becoming more of a threat than a nuisance. In short, Spider-Man was doing most of the work that they had always done.

They. The Avengers. She'd always thought of them as nuisances. They did good work, admittedly, and they had saved the planet, if not the universe, on more than one occasion. But they also operated without supervision, they were reckless, and they caused just as much damage as the villains they fought. It was worse that they actually chose to work this way. S.H.I.E.L.D. had offered them chances to work together on more than one occasion, but Stark always shot them down. And if it wasn't Stark, it would be one of the others.

Oh, well. It didn't matter now. Things would be different this time. S.H.I.E.L.D. would take the reins back into their very capable hands, and peace and security would be restored. First in New York, then in the rest of the country, and then the world. But those were plans for the future. For now, she needed to make sure S.H.I.E.L.D. would actually have the resources to enact those plans.

The woman snapped from her thoughts as she suddenly noticed someone walking down the street several stories below her. Funny. She hadn't really expected anyone to be up and about in this kind of weather. Not even the criminals of New York liked rain and thunder. Apparently though, that didn't count for this person. It was a woman, from the looks of it. A prostitute, probably. This one had had some late working hours, it seemed. Then something else got her attention. Something – or someone – moved in an alley further down the street, and whoever it was, the person seemed to have a knife. A big one.

Likely, the person who was in the alley had seen the prostitute too, and were now preparing to make a grab for her. Not surprising, since the prostitute didn't even seem remotely aware that she was walking toward her doom. Before she could do anything however, the woman on the rooftop was witness to something one didn't see all that often in New York anymore. Not these days, and especially not at night. Someone helped the prostitute.

Or at least, that was what the woman assumed. Because just as the figure in the alley was about to make a move on their target, they were dragged back into the shadows by something – or someone – unknown. The woman on the roof strained her eyes and ears, but found no indication of anyone ever being down there, beside the prostitute, who just kept on walking, completely oblivious to anything. Perhaps that was for the best.

The figure on the roof stayed where she was, keeping a watchful eye over the city. A short time – which felt like an eternity – later, she checked her watch. 2:02AM. Dammit, only minutes had passed since she last checked. And then suddenly, something felt… off. Just like that, out of nowhere, she felt like she was being watched. But that was impossible, right? She hadn't heard or seen anyone. Surely she would know if someone was trying to sneak up on her… but then, with her job, the impossible happened on a weekly basis.

"You're late."

"And you are lucky I showed up in the first place." A deep voice replied in an obviously African accent. Inwardly, the woman smiled. She'd been right then. She was being watched. "I do not appreciate being summoned like this."

"There is no luck involved. I asked for a meeting, and you came to meet me." The woman observed, turning around to face the roof. At first, she didn't see anything, but then she saw him. His suit blending in almost perfectly with the night, he was practically invisible. But his cape betrayed his position as it fluttered wildly in in the wind. Another thunderclap sounded, and another streak of lightning lit up the world. Briefly, the woman was able to see more than just darkness. She saw the yellow of the man's eyes, the toothed necklace he wore, and the design in his mask that vaguely resembled a panther.

"Why did you summon me, Maria?" The man asked. Apparently, he refused to call this a meeting. Well, that was fair. She had kind of summoned him, after all. He also seemed to think they were on first name basis. Now, she would've loved to call him by his name too, but then… he was a king. A powerful one. And right now, S.H.I.E.L.D. needed all the allies they could get.

"It's Director to you, Your Highness." Maria stated, before stepping toward him. "I need your help. The world needs your help." She added. The man was silent for a while, and Maria wondered whether she might've come on too strong. She immediately threw those thoughts away. He had abandoned the world, he deserved to be put in his place now, king or not.

"I will not return, Director Hill. You know this. We disbanded for a reason." The man replied stoically. Maria rolled her eyes.

"I don't need you to come back. And I don't want you to, either. But I know a mutual acquaintance asked a favor of you a few years ago." She stated, and she noticed how the silhouette of the stoic king went rigid at the mention of this 'acquaintance'.

"I want those files, Panther. And I want them now." She continued. She couldn't see it in the darkness, but she had a feeling the man had narrowed his eyes at her.

"You will have your files." He stated, and Maria nodded her thanks to him. It was only a professional courtesy, really. She didn't want to start a war here, after all.

"But do not think this will work. You have too many secrets. S.H.I.E.L.D. has too many secrets. Your little group will fall apart sooner than you think. But that is not my problem. Do what you must, Director. And do not think I am unaware of your spies either. Pull them out of Wakanda. That is not a request." The king of Wakanda stated.

Maria wanted to glare at him, but wasn't able to do so safely. Not in this rain. She reached up to rub some of the water out of her eyes and when she looked back up, the Panther was gone, leaving Maria alone on the rooftop with the promise that she would get what she needed.

"Always a pleasure doing business with you, T'Challa." She mused to herself, before frowning at his last words. How did he know of her spies? Did she have a mole in her organization? Or… no, the Panther was just that good. Nothing escaped him, and especially not in his own borders. Perhaps that was for the better. Wakanda could very well be the last safe place on the planet, soon.

 **: : : AVENGERS: HNG : : :**

* * *

 **\- Backyard, Barton Residence, May 06, 2024 02:00PM -**

The axe made a low whistling sound as it sailed through the air. A rather loud crack followed as it hit its intended target, splitting yet another piece of wood cleanly. Stepping back to admire his handiwork, Clint swept a hand past his brow. He'd already worked through half of the wood, and he'd only been at it since yesterday. He didn't care much for the storm.

Sure, the weather was crazy, but the barn provided enough shelter from the wind and he wasn't afraid of a little rain. Weather couldn't scare him. Not even when the rain was so heavy it would soak you in a split second, the wind would literally blow you away, and there was thunder and lightning all around you. It didn't scare Clint. Not after everything he had been through in his life.

And besides, chopping wood like this was therapeutic, and Clint could sure use that. Especially since _that_ day was coming up again. He had built a good life for himself, what with his farm, and his wife and daughter. He should be grateful for what he had, and he knew that. But still there was this feeling… like he should've done more. And he knew that he could have done more than just give up and walk away.

But everything had seemed so hopeless… Thor left, the team was mourning, and then with Stark and S.H.I.E.L.D. betraying them, what else could they do but walk away from it all? And now? Well, now it was too late to do anything. The world had already gone to hell, and Clint had no idea where he would have to start if he were actually planning to do something about it. And besides, how would he ever do that? With his bow and some trick arrows? Yeah, like that was going to work. It had before, obviously, but… back then he had the others fighting beside him. Firing an arrow at a small army of criminals was a lot easier when you had the likes of the Hulk and Captain America backing you up.

Captain America. The First Avenger. And one of the few Clint had considered an actual friend. The man always had faith in his comrades, even in the most impossible situations. Like that one time when Clint had decided to show off his skill to the team.

 _The shot would be hard to make, but it wasn't impossible. Maybe. I had set up an apple as a target, and between my bow and said target, Stark had set up a challenging little course. And now I found myself peering at the apple, taking aim._

 _My arrow would have to avoid electric fields rotating at various speeds, and a set of moving metal plates that shot up from the floor. Every few seconds, there would be a split second opportunity for me to shoot my arrow and hope to hit my target as I always had before. It was kind of funny, really. There was no real pressure on this, yet this was the first time in my life I actually doubted whether I would be able to make the shot._

" _There's no way you're going to make that shot." Tony commented, looking at me from his position at the side. Wasp flew up to me, nodding._

" _Yeah, Iron Man's right." She agreed. "That's just not gonna happen." She added, gesturing at the course Stark had laid out for me. Ant-Man spoke up next._

" _I don't like to use the word impossible… but it may fit here." Dr. Pym said in his ever so calculating voice. "What do you think, Hulk?" He asked the green giant beside him._

" _Don't care. Only came in case Hawkeye started a fight." The strongest Avenger quipped from his position leaning against the wall. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes._

" _Thanks for the support, team." I commented sarcastically. In the corner of my eye, I noticed Steve was still observing the course._

" _What do you think, Old Man?" I asked him. Captain America grinned and turned to me._

" _I haven't seen you miss yet." He stated. "I don't expect you to start now."_

 _A ghost of a smile played at my lips before I turned back to the course, focusing for a split second before letting my arrow fly. It avoided the first electric fields, then the metal plates, then another pair of fields…_

"Daddy! Daddy!" Clint was snapped from his memories by a tugging at his raincoat. Looking down, he found his daughter clinging to his leg, trying to get his attention. A smile instantly appeared on his face, but it vanished just as quickly as Clint crouched down to look at his daughter face-to-face.

"Didn't I tell you to stay inside with your mother?" He asked sternly. The girl averted her eyes, staring at her feet. "Nicole Eleanor Barton…" Clint warned. She looked up and met his eyes again. She opened her mouth, seemingly going to apologize. And then she changed her mind.

"But I wanna play!" She whined. Clint smiled and shook his head lightly, knowing what that meant. Ever since she found his old bow in the attic, she'd been obsessed with learning archery. But there was no way he was going to teach her now. Not in this kind of weather.

"Nikki, now is not a good time. It's raining." He responded, running a hand through her soaked hair. Nicole used both her hands to push his away, getting a chuckle out of Clint. She never did like it when people touched her hair. Only Laura could get away with it, usually.

"I don't care! I told you I wanna play!" Nicole insisted, crossing her arms. Clint grinned, before scooping her up and starting to walk back toward the house. A thunderclap made the girl jump and let out a little squeal, and she buried her face in Clint's raincoat.

"And I told you to stay inside with mommy and be safe from the thunder and rain." Clint responded, playfully scolding her. Nicole pouted and looked up at him.

"But you're out here too."

"Yes, but daddy's allowed to be here. And besides, who's gonna protect mommy if you're out here too?" He asked his daughter, and he saw a small smile tugging at her lips at the supposed duty he had just given her. If it helped keep her inside from now on, he was fine with having to explain himself to his wife when Nicole started acting all heroic-like around the house.

Another thunderclap had Nicole jumping again, and she whined as she held onto her father tightly. "I'm scared."

"Don't be, Nikki. The thunder won't hurt us. I promise." The former archer said, giving his daughter a reassuring smile. Nicole looked up again, glaring at her father.

"Mommy always says not to make promises you can't keep." She stated, scolding her father. Clint sighed internally. Nicole was really too smart for her own good, sometimes.

"But I can keep this promise." He argued, grinning a little. He'd reached the house now, so it was just a matter of dropping Nicole off with Laura and then he could go back to chopping wood. Back to his therapy.

"Really?" Nicole wondered, skeptical. Clint nodded, before setting Nicole down on the porch, sitting on one knee to be able to look at her as they finished up their conversation.

"Yes, I have a friend who can control thunder." Clint reassured her. "He won't let it hurt us." He promised again, looking up as the door opened and Laura smiled at the two. She'd likely been looking for Nicole. Their daughter had a tendency to try and sneak out, after all. Especially when Clint was out and told her to stay inside.

"Where is your friend?" Nicole asked, curiosity clear in her voice. Clint looked to the side, averting the gazes of both his wife and his daughter.

"He's not here anymore." He answered his daughter. "He went away before you were born, Nikki." He added, attempting to rearrange her hair again.

The gesture was met with a glare, though she didn't push his hands away this time. Smiling, Clint looked up at his wife, whom he found peering at something in the distance. Before he had a chance to follow her gaze though, he heard his daughter gasp.

"What's that?" The seven year-old asked, pointing at the sky. Turning around and looking up, Clint had no trouble finding what his wife and daughter had noticed.

The figure of a rather bulky person could be seen amidst the stormy skies, and though it was far away, for Clint, there was no mistaking who it was. His sharp eyes instantly noticed the silhouette of the large hammer, the curves of the helmet, odd movements of that curved cape, the soft glow of those long golden locks… what the hell was _he_ doing here? Oh, wait, that was a stupid question. It was that time of the year again, after all. He was always here these weeks. To remember the ones who'd fallen. He was likely the only who still cared so much.

"Daddy? What is that?" Nicole asked again, this time with a hint of fear in her voice. Seeing her father zone out like that must have been unnerving for the girl.

"Just a ghost from the past, Nikki." He answered, before starting to usher Nicole inside. Laura gave him a knowing glance before following Nicole inside. She didn't know much about his past, but over the years, she'd seen and heard enough to have suspicions.

Clint had a feeling she would have questions for him sooner rather than later. An he doubted he could keep the answers to himself any longer. Sighing, he began to take off his raincoat, deciding to follow his daughter and wife inside. He looked at the figure in the sky one last time, and a lightning bolt lighting up the sky revealed that the God of Thunder was actually facing toward him. He was likely looking right at the former archer. Clint stared at his former teammate a little longer, before turning his back to him and moving inside his home. He and Thor had never been too close anyway.

"Yeah, just a ghost from the past." He said again, not sure if he was trying to convince the world, or himself.

* * *

 **Hello people of the good life!**

 **You seem to have stumbled upon my very first story since my rebirth, of sorts. As you should be pretty aware of by now, this is an Avengers fic set in a future without the Avengers. As you should also be aware of right about now, the world kind of went to hell without the Avengers.**

 **Enough reason for S.H.I.E.L.D. to start looking for individuals who might have it in them to become Avengers. And guess what? You get to make said individuals, because this is a SYOC story! The form for making and submitting a character can be found on my profile.**

 **For now, the new team will have either five or six members, more might join as the story progresses. As for the canon characters, most of them will be based on their Avengers: EMH versions, because that show was awesome, and there are too many of these fics based on the MCU already.**

 **The deadline will be August 20** **th** **, 2018. I may extend the time if I don't get enough (suitable) submissions.**

 **Also, the second half of this prologue is really just there for fun, as I thought it was fun to write, and it allowed for a little bit of world-building. Clint's daughter, Nicole, is an OC of a friend of mine,** Little Red Riding Brat **. I aged Nicole down a ton for this story, but who cares, because she's only going to have a teeny-tiny role anyway. After all, she'd only a part of Hawkeye's supporting cast, and I'm not even sure yet whether I want Hawkeye in this story! So a big thank you goes to** Little Red Riding Brat **for allowing me to use Nicole. The prologue would have been a whole lot shorter without her. And a lot less interesting, in my opinion.**

 **Anyway, I'm not going to waste more of your time. See you some other time, folks!**

 **RULES FOR SUBMISSION:**

 **1\. Be detailed! If you want your character to be accepted into the story, I will need to know as much about your OC as possible. I can't write a character I don't know!**

 **2\. Send in your submission through PMs only! I will not accept OCs from reviews! You may ask me as many questions as you want, but you may only submit 2 characters. When you send in a character, label the PM as** AVENGERS: HNG – [Your OC's Full Name]

 **3\. If the form is too big to fit in one message – and it likely will be – it's okay to break it up in sections and send them in separately, but make sure to use the same PM thread!**

 **4\. I am allowed to change your character any way I wish. After all, I'm the one writing the story. If you have a problem with that, don't submit. Usually when I wish to change things, it concerns small changes, and I will always try to contact you first.**

 **5\. Be realistic and descriptive.** **I also don't want to be guessing too much about your character, so I expect at least a small paragraph for things like personality, appearance, and background. You might need more for powers/abilities as well.** **However, don't feel the need to spend a ton of time on the form; I don't need a list of twenty something hobbies - I may not use them anyway.**

 **6\. HAVE FUN! I know all these rules make me seem strict, but it's for the benefit of the story! I'm here to have fun with this fic, just like you! So have fun creating a character, and don't hesitate to ask for help or advice if you need it. I'm happy to help you out, I promise!**


	2. Chapter One: Home Invasion times 2

***clears throat***

 **Welcome people! Welcome to the very first chapter of** AVENGERS: HEROES OF A NEW GENERATION **! It's called '** _Home Invasion times 2_ **', and I'm sure you'll get why by the end of the chapter. It's not one of my most creative titles, okay? There's not even a hidden meaning behind it. I can't guarantee that for the chapter titles for the rest of this story though. Anyway, let's get on to the important stuff.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the laptop this was written on. The Avengers as a franchise belong to Marvel, as do the Canon Characters in this story. Seriously, I don't own anything. It requires money and all that. Which I don't have, sadly. Wait, this isn't about me. I'm wasting time here, aren't I? Anyway, you get the point. On to the story!**

* * *

 **AVENGERS: HEROES OF A NEW GENERATION – CHAPTER ONE: HOME INVASION TIMES 2**

 **OC CAST:**

 **KALI DULAL –** _POMForever_

* * *

 **: : : AVENGERS: HNG : : :**

 **\- Director's Quarters, S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier, May 07, 2024 4:50AM -**

An annoyingly high-pitched screeching sound filled Maria's ears as she laid in her bed, snuggling her pillow. She groaned and rolled onto her back, frowning as her alarm clock continued its persistent screeching. Sometimes she just wanted to pick that thing up and throw it against a wall as hard as she could. Sadly, that wasn't an option, as the alarm clock - like many things on the Helicarrier - was almost entirely holographic. The only thing physical about the stupid device was a small circular projector embedded in the wall. And even on such a small device, one man's ego had to be imprinted. Fine print all around the circular device read ' _Stark Industries'_.

Hmph. Stark and his stupid technology. Sure, his company had made a lot of good and useful things for the world, and for S.H.I.E.L.D. too, but the one thing Maria needed him to make, he was too stubborn to. Couldn't Stark see that his weapons could save the world? He had even made the ultimate weapon in his various Iron Man outfits. Why couldn't he just make a couple more of those and sell them to S.H.I.E.L.D.? It wasn't like they were unwilling to pay for the suits, or any kind of weapon Tony Stark could build them for that matter. He just had to put aside his personal differences with their organization. But that, he couldn't do, could he? No, his ego was far too big for that.

Sighing, Maria wrestled herself out of the mess that was her blankets, sitting up after she did. She touched the holographic display – which ironically was made to look like a classic alarm clock – bringing up the interface. It took only two rapid touches of her finger to end the horrific noise of the simulated alarm clock, and took a deep breath before raising her hands to rub the sleep out of her eyes. If there was one thing she hated about her job, besides the superheroes she was forced to work with, it would be the working hours. She was always the last to get to bed, and excepting the night crew, she was the very first back on the job. It was expected of her, and she didn't mind it too much, but sometimes… it just got to her.

Others were always coming to her with their problems like she had nothing better to do, yet they were the ones who got to sleep normal hours, and who were able to just do their work and not have to worry about the bigger picture. Maria was the one who always had to be ten steps ahead. She was the one who had to always be there for everyone. She was the one who had felt like she had the weight of the world on her shoulders. And she was the one who sometimes just wished she could get a good night's rest. Was that really too much to ask for?

Sighing for what seemed like the millionth time that morning, Maria stood up and stretched her arms out with a yawn. She then walked off to her private bathroom, and went off to the shower, using its – also holographic – interface to set the water temperature and turn it on. The Director of SH.I.E.L.D. then turned to look at herself in the mirror as she waited for the water to reach the right temperature, noting the bags under her eyes. Those would be gone by the time she came out of the shower – same as every other morning. And if not, she could always use some makeup to hide them – just like every other morning.

All in all, everything was the same as every morning. She woke up because of that stupid alarm clock, mentally scolded Stark, and then she'd take a shower, before dressing and heading for the bridge, where she'd get the latest from Quartermain before he went off to get his few hours of sleep. Somewhere along the way, some agent would bring her a breakfast from the cafeteria, because everyone knew she'd forget to eat otherwise. Maria sighed again as she stepped into the shower. Was this really the life of a S.H.I.E.L.D. Director? Had Nick Fury felt like this every day?

Only minutes later, Maria stepped out of the shower, feeling only slightly refreshed as she grabbed a towel and began to dry off. She needed a vacation. Or a field mission. Just anything, really. So long as it got her out of the Helicarrier for a day or two. She'd been in this boat nonstop for the last ten years – well, almost ten years. The metal walls and daily routine were beginning to get on her nerves. They had been bugging her for the last few years, actually. Any change of pace – anything that broke the daily cycle of boredom – would be welcome just about now…

Maria was startled from her thoughts as the lights in her quarters suddenly turned red, and moments later, an alarm began blaring. Her eyes widening, Maria stopped drying her hair and dashed out of her bathroom, heading for her closet. She needed to get dressed and figure out what was going on, now! She pulled on a pair of plain cotton panties and a matching bra, before her communicator began beeping. Picking up the earpiece and slipping it in, Maria pressed a single finger against a hidden button on the device, while at the same time pulling a suit from her closet.

"Talk to me, Quartermain!" She ordered, already working to put on the suit. By the time her second-in-command had a chance to respond, she'd already had her legs in the garment.

"We have unidentified intruders on Deck 3, Ma'am!" Quartermain informed her, his voice slightly raised. She could only assume that he was attempting to manage the situation from the bridge. "The intruders presumably breached Sublevel 2. We've lost some camera feeds from there all the way to Deck 3. Whoever these intruders is, they know where they're going. And they're fast, too."

Inwardly, Maria cursed. Her quarters were on Deck 4. If this intruder wanted to get to her, and knew their way around the Helicarrier like Quartermain said, there wasn't much standing between them and the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. As she did up the zipper on her uniform, she wondered who could be stupid enough to try and invade the Helicarrier. She'd made plenty of enemies. And before her, Nick Fury had made even more, but she couldn't imagine any of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s enemies being stupid enough to attack the Helicarrier. Doing so was suicide. But then again, a good bunch of them were legitimately insane, so…

After having pulled on her knee-high black boots and white gloves, Maria reached for her pistol holster, strapping it to her right leg before pulling her standard issue laser pistol out from under her pillow and strapping it into the holster. She grinned to herself at sight of the weapon. Gone were the days S.H.I.E.L.D. agents ran around with kinetic weapons. Nowadays, the organization used a variety of energy-based weapons, which they had been able to reverse engineer from Iron Man's repulsor tehnology. It was a pity they did not have Arc Reactors to power said weapons, but still, these things were a great improvement compared to what they had before. Starting to walk toward the exit of her quarters, Maria brought up her hand again, contacting Quartermain once again.

"I'm on my way to the bridge now. I want an update on the situation when I get there." She informed him, a holographic interface popping up as she reached the door. Blindly, the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. began t type in a long code, which served to unlock the doors.

"Understood, Director. Be careful on your way here, we still haven't found these intruders." Came the reply from Quartermain. Maria would have responded with an affirmative, had she not heard someone clear their throat behind her, just as she finished unlocking the door. She turned around to glare at the intruder, for she now realized there was likely only one. This man usually worked alone, after all. She knew she had to speak first, and call him by his name, so that on the other side of her communicator's connection, which was still open, Quartermain would know who had breached the Helicarrier.

"Remove the communicator, Hill." The intruder ordered before Maria had a chance to utter so much as a single letter. Hell, she'd barely been able to see him! Even in the well lit room, he was hard to see. Maria supposed it was all to be contributed to his suit. After all, the suit did most of the work for this man. No. She shouldn't say that. His mind, as well as his superior physical abilities were what made him capable of the things he did. The suit was merely his bodyguard. Both literally and figuratively.

In response to the man's order, Maria narrowed her eyes at him, biting back a growl. He had the nerve to break into the Helicarrier, sneak his way up to her personal quarters, and then he thought he could just make demands like that?! But still… what choice did she have? She could try and draw her blaster, but what would that do but piss him off? Besides, if he wanted, he could kill her in ten different ways before she could even get the weapon out of her holster. According to Nick Fury's old files, anyway. The corner of her mouth twitching in annoyance, Maria reached up to remove the communicator from her ear, tossing it onto her desk across the room. She returned to glaring at the intruder, sizing up the king of Wakanda. Why was it that she never saw him anywhere without that suit of his? Why did he have to be the Black Panther all the time? If he had been willing to be a bit more king, and a little less vigilante… she was sure she and him would have gotten along a whole lot better. T'Challa was a whole lot easier to work with than Iron Man, for sure.

"What are you doing here, Panther?" Maria demanded, trying to keep the venom mostly out of her voice. She only half-succeeded.

"I am here to deliver what I promised." The Black Panther responded, holding up what looked to be a flash drive, though Maria couldn't be sure from this distance, and there was no way she was going to walk toward him to investigate. She wasn't going to degrade herself like that. She needed to be strong. She had to stand up to him. If she could do that, if she – a mere human – could hold her own against the mighty king of Wakanda, it would prove that S.H.I.E.L.D. was not to be messed around with. Even if no one would ever know about it. Just the experience alone would change her body language ever so slightly, which would in turn motivate her subordinates. And that was a good thing, because Maria had a feeling a storm was coming, and it wasn't going to be pretty.

"Show me the files then." Maria said, still glaring at the Panther. It served him right, for breaking into the Helicarrier. The Black Panther chuckled, his deep voice echoing off the metal walls of Maria's quarters.

"No." He stated simply, shaking his head. "I said I would get you your files. I never promised to look them through with you, nor did I ever offer an explanation." He added, before tossing Maria the flash drive, which she caught in one hand almost purely on instinct.

"I have selected a few of many possible candidates, and made up a summary of their most important files. I think these ones have the most potential to become good heroes. It is up to you what you do with them." T'Challa added, his tone of voice ever so calm. It seemed Maria's obvious hostility didn't bother him in the slightest. Or maybe it did, and he was just good at hiding it. Maria would never know, she supposed. After all, the only way to get a good guess would be through seeing his facial expression as he spoke, but his face was always hidden behind that infernal mask of his.

"This wasn't the deal, T'Challa!" Maria growled, holding the flash drive tightly in her left hand while her right hand hovered over the pistol still holstered on her thigh. "You were supposed to give me everything you know about everyone you've been spying on! What am I supposed to do with this?"

"The deal was that I would give you the files. I never specified the kind of files, not did I specify when you would get them. You should be grateful I delivered them so soon." The Black Panther countered, keeping his calm demeanor. "In fact, you should be grateful I gave you useful information in the first place. I do not have any obligation to help you or your organization, Director Hill."

Only a split-second after the Panther finished speaking, the doors to Maria's quarters opened with a loud hiss, and she turned around to see who was coming in, drawing her pistol in a reflex. The Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. lowered her weapon however, when she saw who had disturbed her 'meeting' with the king of Wakanda. It was Quartermain, along with a squad of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s most elite warriors. They were all armed with automatic weapons, though Maria doubted they would be of much help against the Black Panther. Speaking of her least favorite cat…

Maria twisted back to the Panther, only to see… nothing. He was gone. Again. She looked away for an instant, and he was gone again. Maria whipped around, checking whether the agents were still there.

"Where'd he go?!" She demanded, furious. She wasn't done with the Panther!

"Where who go?" Quartermain asked, obviously confused. "There was no one here, Director." He added, frowning at her. Maria growled, before looking down at the flash drive the Panther had given her. She absolutely hated to admit it, but the Wakandan King had been right. This was all she had to work with. Well, she could attempt saving the world all on her own, but… she really didn't need to a replay of the time when the Helicarrier came falling out of the sky every other Thursday.

Clenching her fists hard, Maria forced herself to calm down. She couldn't afford to be angry right now. She had to focus. She had to make sure she could actually work with the files Black Panther had provided. Semi-hesitantly, the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. turned to Quartermain, sighing internally. She made a gesture with her hand to dismiss the agents, and they left without a word. Quartermain stayed behind though. It was almost as if he knew Maria wanted to speak with him still, even if his shift had technically ended already, and there was nothing stopping him from just walking out that door and leaving his boss to her own problems. But that wasn't who he was. He was loyal to her, and he was loyal to S.H.I.E.L.D. His files had said so, Nick Fury had said so, and Maria too had known it since the first operation she ran with him. If there was anyone in this organization that she could trust, it would be him.

"…I don't want to be disturbed for the remainder of the day." She told him after a long minute of silence, in which she attempted to calm herself further. There was no sense in being angry now. The person she was angry at wasn't here in the first place, anyway.

"Tell Captain Jennifer Walters she's in charge until your next shift, then you can take over again. And get me Bobbi Morse, ASAP!" Maria ordered, already walking to her desk. The Black Panther may have said that he made a selection of his files, and gave that to her instead of the complete data, but if she knew him… He was a very thorough man, which meant she would still have a lot of information to work through.

"But Director Hill… Agent Morse is under deep cover in Latveria. We can't just blow that operation for no reason!" Quartermain protested. It was obvious that he was tired, as he wouldn't have made such a slip-up if he weren't. Normally, he took his orders as they were given, or at the very least, he would have been more tactful in questioning them. But then, Maria realized that he was tired and practically running on fumes, figuratively speaking. For that reason alone, she was willing to ignore his mistake. For now, at least.

"I'm perfectly aware of Agent Morse's whereabouts. But Latveria is no longer a priority. I need Bobbi here, and I need her yesterday!" Maria repeated her orders, and her Second-in-Command nodded. He must have realized what the stakes were here. Well, he couldn't know that, exactly, but… he was smart enough to know that something big was going down if she was willing to pull out of one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s most important operations in the decennium. Especially considering she was calling in her best agent.

"I will have the arrangements made, Ma'am. I'll make certain Agent Morse reports to you personally before the end of the week. Should I also send for Rhodes and Barton?" Quartermain stated. Apparently he really thought something was really awry if he thought she needed _them_ back. Well, Rhodes wasn't so bad…

"No. Rhodes is fine where he is, and I have no need of Barton. Besides, he retired." Maria responded, though the way she said the last part said enough about what she really thought. Barton didn't retire, he ran away like a coward. In a way, it was fitting. She hadn't expected him to last long anyway, not without his gang to hide behind.

"Very well, Director Hill. Agent Morse it is." Quartermain nodded, before saluting and making his way out of Maria's quarters. The doors locked behind him automatically.

S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Director sighed heavily, before plugging the Black Panther's flash drive into a slot in her desk, after which the holo-terminal in front of her lit up with the information stored on the drive. For a few minutes, Maria barely laid an eye on it. Ever since she spoke to him, she'd been wondering why the Black Panther had opted to breach the Helicarrier, instead of just landing an aircraft on the main deck. He had the means and the authority to do that… so why break in and risk compromising S.H.I.E.L.D.?

And just like that, Maria knew. It was a show of power. The king of Wakanda was letting her know what he was capable of. He was telling her that should she screw this up and he thought her accountable, he had the means to get into the Helicarrier at least as far as into her personal quarters with little to no trouble. Essentially, it was a warning and a threat all in one. And quite frankly, it unsettled Maria. He was one of the most powerful men on he planet for a reason, after all. Sighing again, Maria finally forced herself to focus on the files. She had work to do. And after it was done, she would decided what to do with the Panther. Because she sure as hell wasn't going to let him get away with this.

"Alright, bastard, what did you get me?" She muttered to herself as she began scrolling through the data, her mind already crossing some individuals off the list. It was the majority of the people here, actually. Some were little more than theories, which had Maria wondering why he had left their files in here at all, and then there were a few that were just… No, they were too risky. If Maria wanted risk, she would have hunted down the Hulk. No, she need reliable soldiers. Individuals who would follow her orders, and who would be able to make a difference in the world as a unit. And to her disappointment, there weren't a whole lot of people like that in T'Challa's list. There were a select few promising individuals though, some of whom S.H.I.E.L.D. was already aware of, and others not so much.

And then, at the very end of the list, Maria saw something… interesting. A file simply labeled _'Project: Supremacy – Consider this a present'_

That last bit was obviously a note left by T'Challa, but still… intrigued and curious, Maria opened the file, and her eyes went wide in both shock and horror at the files that now filled her field of vision. She closed the files, pulled out the flash drive and reinserted it into another terminal just to make sure the files were genuine, and her eyes didn't deceive her.

 _Project Supremacy_ was – according to the Black Panther's research – an operation headed by A.I.M.

If that was true… that meant MODOK would be making a move soon. And if MODOK was going to make a move… she had less time than she originally thought. A.I.M. was, and always had been, one of the big players in the criminal circles. And if they were going to make a move soon, the others would follow. There was no doubt about that. Nothing had been heard or seen of any of the major players for over five years… many people thought the evil organizations had disappeared. If they returned now…

This was not good. This was not good at all.

 **: : : AVENGERS: HNG : : :**

* * *

 **\- Chinatown, New York City, May 10, 2024 11:30AM -**

Kali Dulal was walking down the street at a leisurely pace, holding large bags filled with groceries in both of her hands. She was wearing dark jeans and a black hoodie, trying not to draw attention to herself. To that end, she had the hood up, mostly concealing her appearance. It would be obvious to anyone who bothered to look her way that she wasn't human though. After all, the long, fluffy tail extending from her waist was a dead giveaway. The fuzzy brown fur was soaked from the heavy rain that had been pouring since the start of the month. By now, Kali didn't care anymore. Rain- and thunderstorms like these always happened around this time of the year. It was rather strange, honestly, but over the years, everyone kind of got used to it. Even if drying fur was a hassle.

And even then, one got used to that, too. And besides, Kali's landlord was a good man. He knew of, and understood Kali's predicament, so she knew she wouldn't be in too much trouble if her apartment needed a new carpet every once in a while. After all, no matter how hard Kali tried, she would never be able to dry off completely. As such, she was really happy that her landlord understood her situation, and that he didn't try to use it to his advantage. If he did, she'd never be able to do anything, really. She wouldn't be able to shower, she'd never be able to go out if it were raining… In short, life would be a lot harder, so yeah, Kali was very happy that her landlord wasn't a racist like most people these days.

Kali was snapped from her thoughts when she almost walked into someone, her eyes widening as she came to a sudden stop, right before an elderly woman who was walking her dog. The woman sneered as she saw Kali's face. Kali sighed mentally. She knew why the woman sneered. Everyone did. From a distance, people would think Kali just had a dark tan, but if one looked closer, they would see that in addition to her tan, Kali's skin was actually covered in a fuzz-like fur. And from as close as the elderly woman was right now, there was no way she couldn't see it, and it was likely she noticed Kali's tail too. And then there was the case of Kali's eyes. They were quite unique, with their goldish-orange color. The rest of her facial features were unusual as well, with her thick eyebrows, and high cheekbones. Most people didn't notice it, but if you looked closely enough, you could almost say her face was a little wolf-like.

Before the woman was able to make any kind of comment - which most likely have been a racist comment - Kali stepped back and around the woman, ignoring her dog. She needed to get out of there. She didn't have the energy to deal with racists right now. And besides, she had to at least try to get these groceries home before they were completely soaked by the rain. She really didn't want to have to make another run to the store, after all. Having to attempt to dry herself off once a day was too often as it was.

After the incident with the elderly woman, Kali was a lot more alert though, keeping an eye on her surroundings and making sure she didn't get lost in thought again. As such, she noticed a group of rather shady figures the instant they rounded the corner across the street. Of course, their outfits couldn't definitively classify them as shady – after all, Kali herself was dressed similarly, and she definitely didn't consider herself shady. She was just a woman who was trying not to draw attention to herself, even if that was an impossible task. But still, she didn't suspect that the same counted for the group of individuals across the street, that Kali was sure to keep a close eye on.

Her suspicions were confirmed when the group noticed her, and started making all kinds of racist comments, as well as a few catcalls. It seemed like they didn't care that Kali was all the way across the street. She was their target now, and apparently, these guys were a little more courageous than most, as they were already crossing the street – and heading straight for her. Kali groaned, both mentally and physically. She was used to the catcalls and racist comments, and she always told herself that she didn't care about them. Which was true.

At least, she didn't care enough to do something about it. But if these guys decided to get up close and personally harass her, she didn't know if she could keep her cool. And she didn't need to expect help from the authorities, either. There were barely any cops out on the streets anyway, and even if there were, the majority of the police was corrupt. And the few officers that weren't were just as racist as the people harassing her. Kali had found out the hard way when she first moved to New York. And that meant she was on her own against these thugs.

She knew she couldn't head straight home, that would lead them to her apartment, and that was far too great a risk. She couldn't just run away either, that would only encourage them. She had to just take a different route than usual, and hope she could ignore them long enough for them to give up. To that end, she turned into the first alley she ran into, knowing doing so would add at least ten minutes to her trip home. Which meant she had ten minutes of extra time to lose the thugs that were no doubt chasing her.

Unfortunately for Kali, the thugs were faster than she thought, and she found them catching up to her even before she made it halfway into the alley. With growing despair, she realized she wasn't going to be able to outrun them, and that they were going to catch up to her one way or another. Which meant there was going to be a confrontation. Deciding that Kali wasn't going to just accept her fate, and not wanting to put innocent civilians in danger either, Kali went to set her shopping bags down by a dumpster, where they would be in relative cover of the rain. She then turned around to face her stalkers, sizing them up.

There were five of them, all male and all were looking ready to fight her. One of them stood a little in front of them, Kali assumed he was the leader of their little gang. He wore black skinny jeans, and a black leather jacket with metal spikes on the shoulders and lower sleeves. He had spiky blonde hair, and his face was riddled with scars. He also had huge bags under his eyes, as if he hadn't slept for days. Kali decided to dub him Spiky for now. She assumed he was on drugs. Actually, by their smell, she judged they were all on drugs.

The second guy was dressed similarly to the fist, except he didn't have the scars, and he had long black hair that seemed like it hadn't been taken care of his whole life. He wore the same outfit though, with skinny jeans a only a shade lighter than Spiky's and the same leather jacket. Unlike the first guy though, this one was armed, as he was holding a knife in his right hand. The weapon was clearly improvised, but still, it looked sharp enough to do serious damage.

Thug no. 3 stood out a little, as he wore normal jeans, though his jacket was once again, similar to the ones thugs 1 and 2 wore, though his was missing a couple of spikes on the shoulder. The fourth wore sweatpants and a black hoodie, with the hood up. He also wore the spiked jacket. Kali was beginning to think it was some sort of gang symbol, as the 5th and last guy was also wearing it, though he had torn off the sleeves, showing off his – quite impressive – biceps. In addition, he wore cargo pants in a camouflage print, and combat boots. His physique, in addition to his body language, gave Kali the impression that he was the muscle of the group.

The guys had mixed expressions, likely because they were finally able to take a good look and see wat Kali actually looked like. The muscled guy and Spiky seemed to be amused, as if Kali's appearance didn't change a thing for them, or maybe even made things more interesting. The thug in the hoodie didn't really show a reaction, his face stoic as ever. Kali could see the fire in his eyes though. He wanted to hurt her, she assumed. The guy with the knife and the one with the missing spikes seemed to be mostly disgusted, a reaction Kali hated. She knew most people felt that way about her, and she had come to expect it, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt… No, she couldn't think like that. She needed to focus.

"Well, lookie what we found ourselves here, boys…" Spiky spoke first. Damn, even his voice was annoying. Seriously, was this guy _trying_ to be a stereotype thug?

"You really don't want to do this, trust me." Kali tried, though she knew that her words likely wouldn't affect the thugs much. Spiky laughed.

"I don't think so, puppy-girl. You look exactly like something I wanna do." He said, taking a few steps toward her. She took one backwards for each of his. She hoped this didn't have to end in violence… her landlord might not have a problem with her fur being wet, but she doubted he'd be happy if she got the apartment covered in blood… especially if it wasn't hers.

"You're going to be our amusement for tonight, puppy-girl." Spiky added, grinning like a madman. Oh, how Kali wanted to punch his face in… but no. He wasn't worth breaking her hand over. Besides, she wasn't sure if she could take on all five of them… not without losing control. She had to try and talk them down, because she sure as hell wasn't going to stand down, and if this came down to a fight… Well, she didn't want to think about what could happen.

"Look, why don't you go find some other form of amusement or something, alright?" She tried, taking another step back, which was answered by the whole group of thugs taking a step forward.

"Just stop bothering me!" She added, her voice carrying more confidence and strength than Kali thought she possessed at the moment. In response to her statement, Spiky growled, and started to advance on her, followed by his fellow thugs. Kali's mind was swiftly pushed in to 'fight-or-flight' mode. She was leaning to the 'fight' part. It turned out the same could be said or the thugs, as Spiky was now closing the distance between himself and Kali, his fist already flying at her face.

Kali was barely able to duck under the swing in time, her slightly superhuman reflexes being the only thing saving her from getting hit right away. As Spiky's arm passed above her, Kali gave a small growl, before she came back up with her own fist, uppercutting the thug with all her strength and knocking him off his feet. He landed hard on the street, and Kali would have sworn she heard something crack in his back as he landed. She didn't have time to admire his now whimpering form though, as she was suddenly grabbed from behind In what was essentially a bear hug. She recognized who had grabbed her immediately, as the bare arms were a dead giveaway. With her arms trapped in his grip and struck by surprise, Kali was practically helpless, and it took more than a second before she finally started struggling. Unfortunately for her, it was too late by then, as the guy with the missing spikes appeared in front of her, and punched her in the gut with strength she didn't expect from him. She cried out in pain, before being forced to cough as she had the wind knocked from her by the punch. The only reason she didn't double over from the blow was the fact that the muscled guy was holding her in a death grip.

Kali cried out again as thug no. 3 punched her a second time, and Kali already felt tears springing into her eyes. And that's when the adrenaline hit her system. She saw that the thug was pulling his arm back to strike her a third time, but before he could, she pulled up her legs and kicked him powerfully, launching him into the wall opposite her, where he slumped into a sitting position with a groan. Still on her adrenaline rush, Kali got her feet back on the ground, and started to back up rapidly, violently slamming the thug holding her into the wall. She felt his grip falter ever so slightly, but he didn't let go. She slammed him into the wall again, and his grip weakened a little more. That was all Kali needed. Using all of her strength, she pried herself free. She turned around to face the man, preparing to punch him – and hopefully finish him off – but before she could do so, she was hit in the side, forcing Kali to cry out yet again, backing away as she clutched at her side instinctively.

The guy in the hoodie had decided to step in and help his fellow gang-members, and he quickly closed the distance Kali had tried to put between them. He swung a fist at her face, but she saw it coming a mile away, and it wasn't hard for her to duck under it. Except, as she ducked, he quickly brought up his knee, hitting her in the chest. Kali instinctively pulled back to suck in a breath, only to be hit by the thug's other fist, after which a second punch quickly followed, sending her staggering back. Again, the thug closed the distance before Kali could get her bearings, and he threw another punch at her face, though she threw up an arm to block the punch. She was only barely fast enough. Still, her quick recovery seemed to have surprised the thug somewhat, as he seemed to hesitate. He took long enough for Kali to grab his arm and pull him in close, before slamming her elbow into his face, effectively knocking the guy away from her.

With a quick glance, she could see that Spiky was getting up again, and so was the thug with the missing spikes. Muscles seemed to be dazed and was still slumped against the wall, but there was no telling how long he would remain like that. Hoodie was sprawled out on the ground in front of Kali, clutching his jaw and groaning in pain. But wait… where was the guy with the knife?!

Quickly turning around, Kali found the thug behind her, preparing to stab her. It was good that she turned around when she did, or she would have been in serious trouble. Well, even more serious than now. As it was, she was able to quickly lean backwards, avoiding his first swing. Before the man had a chance to swing again, Kali threw a quick jab at his face, before following up with a more powerful punch. The thug reared back, letting out a pained noise as he stumbled back from the force of Kali's punch.

Suddenly, the world seemed to shift as Kali felt her legs being swept out from under her, and she landed face-first on the concrete, making her vision swim as she whined in pain. But she had to get up. If she was on the ground, she was toast. But just as she pushed herself to her hands and knees, she felt something connect to her side, forcing the girl to roll onto her back and gasp for breath, before a second kick connected to her other side, and someone else went to stomp her in the gut. Kali only got a quick glimpse of her attackers, but she had a feeling they were Spiky and the thug with the missing spikes. They'd been the only ones still on their feet after all. But even that wasn't for long, as the other three didn't take long to get back in the fray, all five of the thugs now ganging up on Kali. The young woman in question was defenseless against the relentless assault, the five thugs continuing to kick and stomp at her. All she could do was curl up as best as she could, hoping to minimize the damage, as she continued to cry out under their attacks. By now, Kali's vision was blurred over enough to practically blind her, tears were streaming down her face, and she was barely capable of conscious thought, her only thought being a primal drive to survive. But the fact remained that she was powerless against the gang. She shouldn't have tried to fight them. What was she thinking, taking on 5 men with no training or experience.

And then, just as Kali was on the brink of unconsciousness, there was light. A bright white light. And then the attacks stopped, the thugs likely having been blinded as Kali was, though her vision was already starting to return slowly. Instinctively, she crawled away from the gang until she found the wall, where she turned to sit against it. It seemed she wasn't the only one whose vision had started to return, as she could see the blurry forms of the thugs getting their bearings too. And just a little further down the alley, there was another figure, and they seemed to be armed… were they another thug? Or… no, they seemed to be wearing some sort of uniform. A black one, or dark blue maybe. He also seemed to be holding some sort of pistol, a small trail of smoke coming from the barrel. Was that thing what had created the flash?

"Leave. Now." The man – for the voice identified him as a man – in uniform said. "Or I will take you into S.H.I.E.L.D. custody." He added, as the thugs got back to their feet. Wait… S.H.I.E.L.D.? Wasn't that some sort of secret police-organization? Vaguely, Kali remembered them being affiliated with the Avengers, back when she first came to the States.

Apparently, the thugs didn't make the connection, because they wasted no time with words. Instead they simply attacked the newcomer, the guy with the knife being the first to reach and attack him, as he was the closest to him. The man swung his hand at the newcomer, attempting to slash at him with the makeshift knife, but against Kali's expectations, the newcomer didn't make a single move. Kali watched with growing despair, but just as she was about to call out, the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent brought up his hand, effortlessly catching the thug's fist holding the knife mid-swing.

"That was a mistake. Now you're coming in with me, punks." The agent claimed, before whipping his pistol across the thugs face and simultaneously pulling him closer toward him, causing the thug to stumble and bend over slightly to keep his balance. That seemed to be enough for the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent though, as he took the opportunity to plant a solid elbow on the thug's back, sending him face first into the ground. The agent then grabbed something from a white pouch on his uniform. It turned out to be some sort of disc, and he let it fall onto the thug, who received an electrical shock upon contact, before falling unconscious as the agent holstered his pistol.

The muscled guy and the one with the hoodie seemed to be the least appalled by the defeat of their comrade, and they quickly charged at the agent. Before they even reached him though, he had already pulled out two more discs, and an instant later, the two had joined their friend on the ground, residual electricity crackling off their bodies. The both of them were already out cold. Spiky and the guy with the missing spikes seemed to realize that they had no chance and that they preferred their freedom over testing their luck against the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, as they turned tail and started to run away. Kali quickly turned back to the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, and found that he had thought quickly, having pulled out his pistol again. Currently, he seemed to be flipping a switch on it, before he aimed and fired. A laser-like beam shot from the weapon, hitting the thug with the missing spikes. It turned out the beam was some sort of high-powered taser, as the thug screamed in agony before collapsing, while Spiky continued to run, rounding the corner, and thus leaving the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent's reach.

Kali half-expected the man to run after the thug, but he apparently was content with catching four out of five, as he started to move over to her. Seeing his approach, Kali made an effort to start climbing to her feet. By now, she had recovered pretty well, and while she was incredibly sore, she was able to see again, and didn't feel like she was going to throw up, so that was good... probably. As he approached, the agent held up a hand in a placating gesture, while he holstered his pistol again with his other hand.

"Relax. I'm not here to hurt you. Quite the opposite, in fact." He claimed, extending a white-gloved hand to her to help her up. Somewhat reluctantly, Kali took it, allowing the man to pull her up. He was taller than her, like most people. He wasn't muscular per se, but he was definitely fit. His blonde hair was neatly styled, even in the current rainstorm. The combination of color and style was also accentuating his blue eyes. Blue eyes that were looking right at her, as if they were studying her.

"I… uh… thanks?" Kali broke the silence nervously, wary of the man before her. "Who are you?"

"My name is Clay Quartermain. I work for an organization called S.H.I.E.L.D." The man responded. "We strive to protect the world and make sure innocent people can live their daily lives without fear of being in danger."

"Really? You can go pat yourself on the back then, cause you've been doing a great job these last few years!" Kali responded sarcastically, throwing her arms up to gesture at their surroundings. Quartermain narrowed his eyes at her.

"I am aware that the current situation is not optimal. But I assure you, we are doing everything in our power to keep things from getting worse." He stated, crossing his arms. Kali leveled her gaze at him, deciding she could hear him out at the very least. He had just saved her furry skin, after all. And he for one actually didn't seem put off by her appearance.

"In fact, that is why I am here today. S.H.I.E.L.D. wishes to recruit you. We can certainly use someone with your… skills." Quartermain continued. Kali simply scoffed and stepped around the man, who made no move to stop her.

"Recruit me? Please. You don't even know me!" She argued, picking up her shopping bags from where she had set them down. She then turned to walk back to the street, planning to be on her merry way back home and see how much of her groceries had survived being in the rain for so long. Oh, and she had to dry her fur too, of course. Or try to.

"Your name is Kali Dulal, you were born in Kathmandu 21 years ago and moved to the States when you were 10." That had her stop in her tracks. This guy actually knew who she was?! Quartermain seemed to realize he had her attention now, as he walked over to stand in front of her.

"I don't know how you turned out to be part wolf, Kali, but I know what you can do. I know that if you wanted to, you could have flattened all five of those guys. You chose not to. Why?" The S.H.I.E.L.D. agent asked her, looking right into her eyes. Something about his gaze kept her from looking away. She repeated his question inside her head. Why hadn't she done it? Why hadn't she taken them down? It wasn't like they were innocents, a child could have seen that. But… if she had given in, if she had fought them… chances were, they would have ended up dead rather than unconscious, and Kali did not want that on her conscience. As Quartermain continued to stare at her, waiting for an answer, Kali finally found the strength to break eye contact.

"I have no interest in joining your organization, or whatever you want me for." She stated, before pushing past him once again and starting on her way home. Finally. "Have a nice day, Mr. Quartermain." She called over her shoulder. Best to be polite. He seemed to know exactly who she was, after all. And while that fact unsettled her, it also made sense, now that she gave it some thought. She grew up watching the Avengers on the news, and actively following whatever she could of their escapades. Especially since coming to live in the States, she got fascinated by the superheroes. And if memory served her right, S.H.I.E.L.D. was an ally of the Avengers. Meaning they were the good guys, right?

A small smirk crept onto her face as she walked into her apartment building. It was a bit of an honor, to know that an organization such as them would want to recruit her. But even then, her decision didn't change. Sure, she wanted t do the right thing, and help people and all that, but… she was no superhero! She was just a not-so-ordinary young woman trying to make a living for herself!

The smirk left Kali's face as she got to her floor, replaced by a frown. Something smelled.. off. Had someone come through here? She didn't recognize the smell, that was for sure. Continuing to frown, Kali made her way to her apartment, setting down a bag of groceries and fishing around in her pockets to find her keys before finally opening the door. She put her keys away, grabbed her groceries and made her way inside, where her sensitive eyes and nose were immediately assaulted by… candles? She didn't remember leaving her scented candles on before leaving…

Glancing around her small living room, Kali noticed nothing out of the ordinary. The candles barely provided light, but her enhanced eyes were fairly good at seeing in the dark, so that wasn't a problem for Kali. Shrugging a little, Kali kicked the door closed behind her, and made her way to the kitchen, setting her groceries down on the table blindly before reaching for the light switch. When the lights turned on, her eyes widened immediately. There, leaning against the fridge was a woman wearing an outfit similar to the one Quartermain had been wearing. She had tanned skin, and short to medium length dark brown hair. And she was looking right at Kali. Part of her wanted to snap and scream at the woman to get the hell out of her apartment, or something along those lines, though another part of her realized that she needed to be smart about this. She went from barely ever hearing of S.H.I.E.L.D. in her entire life, to meeting two of it's agents within an hour. That had to be planned. Likely, this woman was here to recruit her, too.

"Let me guess: You're with S.H.I.E.L.D. too?" Kali remarked, crossing her arms and resisting the urge to growl at the woman. The agent seemed to size her up before pushing off the fridge, walking to stand in front of Kali, though nowhere near close enough to invade her personal space.

"I am Director Maria Hill of S.H.I.E.L.D." She started. "And I am here to ask for your help." She went to continue, but Kali cut her off.

"You want to recruit me, I know. I already said no to Quartermain. You can get the same answer, your rank doesn't matter to me." She said simply. She was honored to have the very boss of S.H.I.E.L.D. in her apartment, of course, but the fact remained that she was no super-hero, nor some sort of police officer to go and work for them.

"And why did you say no to him, Kali?" Director Hill questioned. "You strike me as a person who wants to do the right thing, and who wants to protect the people she loves. I can help you do that." She claimed. Kali scoffed.

"I think, that you want to be able to live a normal life. Look around, Kali. Is this normal? Being discriminated like you're some sort of animal? Being treated like you're less than human?" The woman continued. Kali looked up at her, the woman's words having gained her attention.

"Look, the simple fact is that the world is a mess. Crime rates are through the roof everywhere on the planet, and nobody seems to be doing anything about it. But I know for a fact that things are about to get whole lot worse, and I can't stop it. Not alone. So I am going out of my way to find people and assemble a group of people who I think, under S.H.I.E.L.D.'s guidance, can stop tis threat and then help save the world, and make things like they used to be. The world can go back to normal, and you can live your life the way you want it. You won't be discriminated anymore, and your family, your parents, would be able to finally start a life again."

That last bit had Kali look up sharply. "What do you mean?"

Director Hill sighed. "There is a reason your parents took you from Nepal to live here, Kali. There were people who were discriminating them just as you are discriminated now. Your parents thought they could flee, but those people, they have powerful friends. The only reason you and your parents are still alive is because S.H.I.E.L.D. has been protecting your family." She explained, before pausing to let Kali take the words in.

Kali was unable to do so though. She could only keep repeating the words in her head. Again and again. When Kali finally looked up again, she found Director Hill back by the fridge, looking at a picture of Kali and her parents. Gently, she took it from the fridge, and held it in her hand, turning back to Kali.

"What I am trying to say is that without your help, the world will most certainly go to hell – even more so than it already is. And that would mean that your family lost S.H.I.E.L.D.'s protection, as well. It would mean the end of your parents' lives. And before you ask: no, that is not a threat. It is simply the cold, hard truth." The Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. spoke, placing the picture on the table, right in Kali's line of sight.

"The world needs you, Kali. Your parents need you." Hill pressed. Kali stared at the picture for a long time, contemplating the woman's words. Now that she knew this… there wasn't really any choice, was there? She couldn't let her parents die… sure she wasn't some kind of superhero, and she was convinced she never would be, but… Director Hill had said that S.H.I.E.L.D. would teach her, and she'd also said that there would be others. So… she had to give it a try, at least. If what Hill said was true, and if the world was about to get worse, then she could not stand by and watch, knowing she was letting her family die.

"I'm in." Kali's voice sounded a lot more confident than she felt.

* * *

 **Finally! I'm done! This chapter took so much longer than I expected, but I'm happy with the end result!**

 **Please note that I didn't really proofread it, as I finished this at like 2am, so I need sleep. I'll proofread and edit it later, I promise. But I'll be going on a one-week vacation now, so I just wanted to get this out there for you guys. I hope you enjoyed! If you did, please let me know! That always helps to keep me motivated to write more and faster. And if you had anything you didn't like that much, let me know too! Constructive criticism is always greatly appreciated!**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoyed, and next time, we'll get to meet two more of Maria Hill's recruits, so you can go ahead and look forward to that! ;D**

… **oh, and before I forget: I left a little Easter Egg in here for a Canon Character that wasn't in Avengers: EMH. If you manage to find it, let me know via PM, and then also tell me if you want that character to get a role in this story. If enough people get it right, I'll make sure to get that done!**

 **And with that, I'm signing off! See you all next time, folks! (I hope)**

 **EDIT 8-24-18:** **I finally proofread this chapter, and edited a few things. Nothing too major though.**


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